It didn't even

take a month after the horrific attacks on America for the American Civil

Liberties Union to get its boxers in a bunch regarding the rampant religiosity

of grieving citizens. All over America, soon after the destruction of

the World Trade Center towers and the attack on the Pentagon, signs and

bumper stickers began to appear that uttered a desperate, one-sentence

prayer "God Bless America."

Even universities

and public schools began displaying this sign of need and unity in the

aftermath of America's darkest day. Members of Congress, of both parties,

gathered together to sing the song that proclaims these comforting words.

All over the nation, churches even those that typically stay away from

nationalistic sentiments and tendencies included the song, "God Bless

America," in worship services following the attack. The President

himself led the nation in a religious service of mourning and remembrance

at Washington's National Cathedral.

Enter the leftist

ACLU to throw a bit of cold water on those who would dare suggest that

the nation should turn to God during the worst single disaster in the

history of the nation. In California, a state not normally known for its

hyper-religiousity, the Rocklin Unified School District displayed the

message, "God Bless America," on the marquee of Breen Elementary

School. The ACLU, known best for attacking most anything good and profitable

and defending most everything vile, demanded not requested, demanded that

the school district remove the offending message. The ACLU contention

is that the message, "God Bless America," is a "hurtful,

divisive message." This, of course, is the same ACLU that has argued

against non-religious Bible history classes, vouchers for Christian colleges,

any form of prayer in schools, faith-based initiatives, the display of

the Ten Commandments in any government facility, and a slew of other freedom-threatening

activities.

On the other

hand, in a case typical of the organization's interests, the ACLU has

opposed a Delaware law that would issue driver's licenses that would identify

sexual offenders after they have committed and have been convicted of

no less than 12 sex crimes. The ACLU has stated that such a law requiring

the notation on the driver's license violates the poor sexual predator's

"right to privacy."

The Delaware

folks say that such a license would aid police in identifying sexual perverts

who hang around elementary schools, for example. But the ACLU evidently

desires to protect the privacy of a person convicted of 12 sex crimes

who also likes to hang around elementary schools. Presumably, such a notation

on the driver's license of such a person conveys a "hurtful, divisive

message."

The ACLU also

supports same-sex marriages, the rights of homosexual couples to adopt

children, gays in the military, abortion rights, and the overturn of sodomy

laws. Yet, while desiring to be known as an organization that supports

the downtrodden and defenseless, the ACLU opposed a 1996 piece of legislation

that "updates child pornography statutes by banning computer-generated

depictions of children engaging in sexual conduct."

Stating that

the law "undermines First Amendment protections," the ACLU told

Media Central, an online news source, that the law, which will also allow

newsrooms to be searched for information related to kiddie-porn investigations,

has "extraordinary" ramifications "for artists and people

in the cinema." The ACLU's position is that "people's thoughts

are their private thoughts," an ACLU spokesman said. "They have

a right to their thoughts, even if they are abhorrent."

To the ACLU,

however, "God Bless America" on a public school marquee is evidently

much more abhorrent that the possibility of child pornography on the public

Internet. The possibility that school administrators might actually influence

people to consider that there might be a God who just might be called

upon to bless a nation in the midst of a terrible tragedy is, indeed,

a "hurtful, divisive message," according to ACLU dogma.

The American

Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) has entered the fray on behalf of the

California school district. The ACLJ also announced that it is offering

to defend any school district or student organization in America that

desires to display "God Bless America" in schools.

"At a

time when America desires to exhibit patriotism, the ACLU sees fit to

undermine the constitution by attempting to exert a heavy hand of censorship,"

said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ. "The ACLU is out of

step with the law and is reacting in a manner that is totally absurd and

irresponsible. The message 'God Bless America' is constitutionally protected

speech and the ACLU's legal analysis is both skewed and very troubling."

The ACLJ is a public-interest law firm and does not charge any client

for its legal services.

"There

is no legal reason why a school district cannot display a sign that says

'God Bless America' if it so desires," said Sekulow. "The message

'God Bless America' is constitutionally protected speech and does not

violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. In fact, it is

clear that the ACLU is attempting to censor a California school district

or student organization that faces legal action by the ACLU for displaying

the message 'God Bless America.'"

Some might

contend that, while the terrorists threaten the American way of life,

the ACLU offers an even greater threat. But, then, such a statement will

doubtless be seen as "hurtful" and "divisive."

[Father David

Epps is rector of Christ the King Church in Peachtree City. He may be

contacted at [email protected] or at www.ChristTheKingCEC.com .]